After the end of the Second World War in 1945 when Germany surrendered, a battle restricting the use of military weapons arose. This period was termed as the Cold War by George Orwell, an English writer. The fight was majorly between the U.S. and Britain against the Soviet Union and its allies. The warfare thrived through political propaganda and economic fronts. Who is to blame for the onset of the battle is the question that everyone is asking and which has sparked heated debates across the world. Both the two primary states involved shift the blame to each other. America, on its side, accuses Russia which, in turn, blames the USA. The warfare was evidence of the tension that existed between Truman and Stalin. Individuals like William Appleman Williams state that America is responsible for the Cold War and its aftermath. In my opinion, both the USSR and the U.S. were responsible for the emergence of the fight, but I suppose that Russia is the primary cause.
Russia’s Fault
I firmly believe that Russia is more to blame for the outbreak of the Cold War. The rivalry mainly started after the end of the World War II. After the end of the war, we see USSR having the first hand in the onset of the battle. After the end of the World War II, it was expected to withdraw from Eastern Europe to allow for democratic erections, but actually it did not (Kuniholm 34). The Soviet intentions revealed that they would not anytime sooner give way to the rule of the people through voting, and this was a cause for alarm to the U.S. and its allies. The Soviet Union also went ahead in spreading its communism ideology in Europe, something that did not make America happy because they were capitalists (Kuniholm 33).
The salami tactics which the USSR used to propagate communism in Eastern Europe was considered by the U.S. as a brutal and terrible method which had non-communists murdered and demoted. The plan tactically sliced away the nonconformist political leaders. Stalin and his accomplices could portray those opposing communism as weak and requiring sympathy from the masses. He would also create some factors within the rival political parties within his blocs and find reasons to dismantle them gradually without severe opposition from the community. The USSR also spurred tension when they created the Berlin Blockade which is among the international factors that heightened the Cold War (Kuniholm 35).
The Soviet focus in establishing the blockade was to limit American association with Europe by disconnecting the transport channels. They dismantled the railways, canals, and road entries to Berlin. The action seemed quite alarming to the U.S., thus calling for preparation for warfare on the American’s part (Kuniholm 33). The blockade meant that the Western allies comprising of the U.S. and Britain could not transport alms to the region. In countering the barrier, the westerners airlifted the food substances even though it was with some challenges because of the high population (Kuniholm 34).
Conclusion
Many factors led to the outbreak of the famous Cold War such as the conflict of communism and capitalist ideologies. While many people think that each country had equal participation in the outbreak of the conflict, in my opinion, Russia is more to blame for the onset and the aftermaths of the battle. The main reason is when the USSR was expected to withdraw from Eastern Europe after the World War II, it did not. Furthermore, the salami tactics of spreading communism by the Soviet Union is also a primary cause of the Cold War because it resulted in deaths of the European leaders who resisted communism.
Work Cited
Kuniholm, Bruce R. The Origins of the Cold War in the Near East: Great Power Conflict and Diplomacy in Iran, Turkey, and Greece. Princeton University Press, 2014.
